Gaza City — In a significant development amid ongoing ceasefire efforts, the Palestinian Islamic Hamas movement on Saturday released a second group of Israeli hostages, four women who were handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Gaza City.
Eyewitnesses reported that dozens of militants from Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad escorted the four hostages to the ICRC at Palestine Square. The women—identified as Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniella Gilboa, and Naama Levy—were officially transferred to the ICRC, according to a Hamas press statement.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) confirmed the release, stating in a joint announcement that the ICRC had communicated with Israeli authorities regarding the transfer. The organizations reported that the hostages \"are on their way toward IDF and ISA forces in the Gaza Strip.\"
The four, all Israeli army observers aged between 19 and 20, were abducted by Hamas on October 7, 2023, during an attack on the Israeli army's surveillance base at Nahal Oz near the Gaza Strip border. Following their release, they were reunited with their families and are expected to receive medical evaluations at a hospital in central Israel, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.
The hostage transfer was broadcast live on Israel's state-owned Kan TV News and other international media outlets. The women appeared in good health, walking and smiling despite wounds sustained during their abduction.
This release is part of the second phase of a prisoner-hostage exchange between Hamas and Israel, implemented under the initial terms of a ceasefire agreement. As part of this phase, Israeli authorities also released 200 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday.
The first stage of the six-week ceasefire took effect on January 19. Under the agreement, Hamas has agreed to release 33 hostages—including children, women, older men, and the sick and injured—in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Additionally, Israeli troops are to pull back from some of their positions in the Gaza Strip.
The ceasefire, reached after 15 months of intense fighting and mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, aims to alleviate tensions in the region. Following Saturday's release, Israeli authorities report that 90 hostages remain in Gaza, with around a third declared dead in absentia.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
